A Beautiful Getaway
by h0ckeychic93
Summary: There's nothing new about royalty running away from responsibilities, and who better to help out than an old best friend. But there are always new friends that come along, and not all have the best intentions. AU. OC character.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: " I don't own Kingdom Hearts."

So this is my new Kingdom Hearts story, hope you all enjoy. Don't be afraid to leave comments/criticism.

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" Sorry I'm late Mr. Even."

" Oh? And who might you be?" he asked as he put down the chalk.

" I'm Mia Haruka, the new student."

" Of course. You may take the seat behind Roxas," she looked over to see if she was able to spot the empty desk. "Roxas, please raise-"

" Wait, what?" A blonde boy responded obnoxiously. The brunette shared a reluctant look with the teacher, then went to take her seat as he returned to the board. " So, Mia right?"

" Yeah. And you're Roxas?"

" The one and only." he smirked. Mia nodded her head hesitantly. " I think we're gonna get along great."

" You're so sure?" she asked skeptically. He chuckled and leaned on her desk.

" There are some things in life that you just know." Only inches separated their faces, allowing her to clearly see his faint freckles, those hypnotizing blue eyes, and yet that stupid smirk.

" Well, we've got a long way to go." she finally said, taking him by surprise. He leaned away and gave her a quick look up and down. Mia pulled out her notebook and pencil and pointed to the board, signaling the end of the conversation.

The bell rang 45 minutes later, ending the class period. She barely had time to put away her things when Roxas already facing her with all his things packed.

" So, want me to give you a tour of the school?"

" No thanks. I'll be able to get around on my own."

" But you don't want to be late to your next class, do you?"

" Well, I know for a fact my next class is just down the stairs. But I'm guessing you don't really care about being late." he shrugged his shoulders. " I still have to get a textbook, so you can go your merry way."

" Okay then. But the tour is still an option."

" Bye Roxas." He winked and then finally turned to leave. Mia came up to the teacher's desk and filled out a card and got the book.

" Now Mia, if Roxas is any trouble you can find any other empty chair."

" I don't think that'll be necessary, but I will keep it in mind." he nodded his head and she began to walk out.

" There you are." Roxas called as she came out the door. She froze and slowly turned around.

" You scared me! Why are you still here?"

" What kind of gentleman would I be if i didn't walk you to your next class."

" Roxas, I said-"

" So where to next?" Mia let out a heavy sigh.

" History."

" Well, what do you know, me too!" he said rather excited.

" Fine, let's go then. But this won't be on a regular basis." she stated as she began to walk. He sped up a bit and stood in front of her.

" Why not?" she knew he wasn't truly hurt, so his puppy dog eyes were unconvincing.

" Let's just go before we really are late." he brushed off the comment and they walked together down the hall in silence. He led her through the crowded halls and briskly down the steps to the first door off of the stairwell, escaping the mob of students. The history teacher was much younger than her biology teacher, maybe even a decade or two younger. As Roxas took his seat, the teacher called for her attention.

" You must be Mia," he smiled. Mia was already liking him more than her last instructor. " It's a pleasure to have you in our class, I'm Mr. Ienzo." he greeted as he pulled out a fresh textbook for her. " You may take the seat behind Sora." The girl turned around and noticed a goofy brunette wave to her. His smile was inviting, but as she moved her eyes one seat up, the blonde from her previous class sat with a straight face. The bell just rang as the last couple of students rushed in and all went to their seats with Mia following suit. She gave Roxas a weak smile as she approached, noticing his eyes study her figure and with another seductive wink. Once she sat in her seat, away from his wandering eyes, the brunette turned to her.

" Hey, welcome to Hollow Bastion High." he said with a sort of radiating smile. She examined his features and noticed those familiar blue eyes.

" Thanks Sora. I hope you don't mind me asking, but are you and Roxas brothers?" the boy returned a laugh.

" Aren't I so lucky?" he joked. Both teens turned to the blonde ahead and noticed him fidget in his seat. They tried to contain their giggles so they wouldn't attract any attention. Sora turned to her once again, his gaze ever so friendly.

" So Mia, what do you have after this class?"

" Lunch." her eyes darted to the teacher as he was finishing his preparations to start the lesson.

" Awesome, me too! Want me to save you a seat?" his kindness was almost overwhelming to her but it wasn't something she was going to deny.

" I'd like that." she answered quietly as Mr. Ienzo turned to face the class.

" Alright class, turn to the beginning of Chapter 7." All at once the students opened their books; except Mia as she quickly tapped Sora's shoulder.

" Sora, I didn't get that far in my old school. Do you have notes?" she frantically asked. History was her least favorite class so she didn't want to start off badly.

" Not with me but I can give them to you later." he reassured. Relief came over her knowing that she wouldn't have to actually read the book to catch up. So instead, she took out some loose lead paper for separate notes to keep herself organized.

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" So, to conclude this lesson, finish reading this section for homework and there will be a test Friday." Everyone began to pack their bags in the last minute of the period. The brunette turned to Mia for the first time since the lesson started.

" How'd you do?"

" Okay I guess. It'd be nice to know what happened in the last two chapters."

" Don't worry, I got those notes at my house so we can get those later and catch you up." The bell rang, ending their conversation so it can be continued at lunch. Sora left almost instantly so he can get them a table as Mia quietly packed up to go to her locker. Just as she stood up to leave, the blue eyed blonde came up to her.

" So I couldn't help but overhear that Sora is gonna tutor you."

" Not tutor, just catch me up on what I missed." she corrected.

" Same difference. I'll be looking forward to seeing you then." he cooed in her ear. Mia couldn't avoid the chill that crawled over her skin, and she wasn't sure if it was the good kind. His infatuation with her was a mystery, but she definitely wasn't letting him have it.

" Don't get too excited Roxas. We'll probably just go to the library." 'Away from you' she mentally added, but then it was as if he could read her mind.

" Get used to seeing me around, we got the next three years of high school together." he smirked. All Mia could do was stare into his eyes. Exactly the same as his brother's. If she only focused on them, she could see the friendliness. But she zoomed out to see his whole face, his lips gave her a completely different feeling, like he was hiding a secret. He left without another word, which left her quite frazzled. She took her time getting to her locker, focusing on her surroundings and familiarizing her way around. There was no point in rushing since it was only lunch and she wasn't about to spend four minutes killing herself to get there on time. Even with her locker just down the hall from the cafeteria, it's not like she was really hungry.

It was crowded by now, filled with students greeting each other like it's been days since they last talked. But this warm atmosphere was just what she needed, especially with the fall finally settling in in the early part of October. Mia walked passed numerous tables filled with much commotion but had trouble spotting her friend with the goofy smile. She was reluctant when she found his twin.

" Hey Mia, long time no see."

" Hi Roxas." she said as her eyes wandered about the room. She was going to ask the whereabouts of his brother, but a boy with fiery red hair interrupted.

" Who's your friend Roxy?" he playfully asked. Mia stifled a giggle from Roxas' expression.

" New girl." the blonde plainly stated.

" Coulda guessed that myself. What's your name babe?" she was instantly repulsed by his attitude, it only makes sense that's how he and Roxas are friends.

" It's Mia. And that's the only name your allowed to call me."

" Oh, feisty. Well, you have my respect Mia." the brunette stared at him for a moment, almost insulted by his comment. Who is he to say that she needed to earn his respect. Mia waited for him to continue though he gave her an unsure look; then it clicked. "Wow, where are my manners. I'm Axel." he stuck out his hand and Mia timidly shook it.

" There you are Mia!" she turned her head and saw him walk up to them like a knight in shining armor; at least to Mia he was, and Axel might as well be the dragon who needs to be slain. " Would you guys leave her alone."

" We were just making friends." Roxas responded. Sora gave the two of them a skeptical look. Without another word he took her hand and they left. Once they were out of earshot, Sora turned to her.

" I'm sorry about that."

" You have nothing to be sorry for." she smiled at him. They were nearing the other end of the cafeteria when a red headed girl suddenly jumped up.

" Mia!" she squealed as she came over to her.

" Kairi! It's so good to see you!" Mia exclaimed as she embraced her long time friend.

" When did you arrive?" Kairi toned down her voice so only Mia could hear.

" I got the message from your sister a couple days ago so I left immediately and came the other night. I stayed at the Radiant Inn." Mia returned the hushed tone.

" You know that's family owned right?" Mia shook her head. " Well at least it was only for one night. I'll tell Aerith to send Cid to pick up your belongings." the brunette girl smiled warmly. " I guess it's time to introduce you to the group. In order we have Sora, whom you know, Riku, Olette, and Hayner." she pointed to everyone at the circular table. The two girls sat down between Sora and Riku, Mia giving Kairi a slight nudge as she looked over to the silver haired boy, the redhead blushed.

"This is basically our group, but two people are missing and that would be Namine and Pence." Sora added. Mia looked about the circle, taking in everyone's expressions. It was a good group of friends, she thought with a smile. Sora looked over at her and noticed it. " And now you're a part of it." he said gently. They all included her in their conversations, and luckily no one seemed to ask where she was from, which was good because she needed time to come up with an answer. Towards the end of the period, Kairi turned to her friend.

" When school is over, we should meet-"

" Actually Kairi, I have some notes to give to Mia so I was thinking we could stop by my house after school." Sora had interrupted. Kairi glanced from one friend to the other. Now, Mia had heard much about Sora from many phone conversations with Kairi as they were growing up, so she assumed there was no reason that her friend should distrust the goofy brunette. Kairi replied with a sneaky smile,

" Okay Sora. As long as you have her back by dinner time." Both brunettes blushed. They discussed their next classes with everyone at the table, but then the bell gave a reluctant ring and they dispersed to their destinations; Mia following Olette to English Class.

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At 2:30 the final bell rang, and luckily Mia shared Health with Sora. They made one last stop to their lockers and left the building. The whole walk to his house was filled with casual conversation about their day and how Mia was adjusting to her new school. A short 15 minutes later they walked through the front door to the Kokoro household. The backpacks were dropped off in the family room by the coffee table and then Sora led her upstairs. At the top of the landing was someone making their way down. Mia looked up and almost gasped, she couldn't believe her eyes. The boy was like an older version of Sora but with dark, ash colored hair and hypnotizing amber eyes; she couldn't refrain from staring at him. Her obviousness was apparent to him, so he decided to toy with her.

" Hey there cutie." he whispered just as he passed her ear, but not quiet enough so the younger brother couldn't hear.

" Not even in your dreams Vanitas." Sora growled at him.

" Oh, I plan to." he replied from the bottom of the stairs with a devilish smile. Mia just about had it with the cockiness that ran in the family. She turned around to him and raised her hand, ready to strike. But he was faster and grabbed her by her delicate wrist. " If you wanna touch me like that you gotta work a little harder." Vanitas said with almost a purr. Mia tried to pull her hand away but he held on. She couldn't understand what he was doing until she felt his lips. Each finger was given a chaste kiss, leaving a tingling feeling. He let go of her and left out the door with an all too familiar wink. She glanced up at Sora and he looked down right ashamed.

" Mia…"

" Don't apologize!" she quickly said. " Seems like you apologize for your brothers' actions quite often."

" Well they obviously weren't gonna say anything. And I was gonna ask if you're okay… because you don't have to be patient with them anymore."

" Sora, I'm not just gonna run out of here, I'm more tolerant than that. I'll be okay if you just show me to the bathroom." Sora chuckled and brought her to the second door on the right. Mia walked in and went straight for the sink and with her unsoiled hand she got some soap, scrubbing away at each finger but one. Hoping that Sora wasn't watching, she decided to keep that lingering feeling of his lips on one finger secretly to herself. As she dried her hands, Sora came up and leaned against the door frame.

" I wish he was the one to leave." he crossed his arms, obviously pondering over something.

" I'm sorry?" Mia said gently, unclear of what he was talking about.

" Him and my other brother Ven are both in college but we could only afford for one to move out.

" Then I can easily guess who your favorite sibling is." Mia joked as she came closer to him.

" Yeah. You know what Vanitas' excuse was? Free food and he has doesn't have to share a room."

" Well, then it's good you're surrounded by a wonderful group of friends." she smiled at him.

" You're right." Sora perked up. He went across the hall to which Mia presumed was his room. She watched him move things around and search through stacks of paper on the desk.

" Organized mess I see?"

" Hey! I know exactly where everything is." he defended. And to prove it, he pulled out the notes from one of the desk drawers. They made their way back downstairs to the family room. As Sora began to set up the papers on the table, Mia became slightly nervous. She wasn't lying when she told Roxas she'd hoped they would go to the library to avoid him, but then she realized he was nowhere to be found; in fact, the whole house was in completely silence like it was only the two of them there. She eased up a bit and pulled out her notes, placing them on her lap as Sora did with the textbook. The table was full of papers, much like the boy's desk, but in an organized way that was easy for her to copy while he dictated any information he may have missed.

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An hour and a half later, they were finally finishing up as the clock on the wall read 4:30. Both teens slumped back on the couch and let out a relieved sigh, letting the materials fall to the floor. Mia broke the silence,

" Thanks for helping me Sora. I would've never gotten this done so quickly along with all the other homework."

" What are friends for?" she smiled to herself, keeping a blush from surfacing. Sora stared at her, admiring her features. Despite the way he said it, Vanitas was right; she was cute. And with that thought, he mentally slapped himself. He had only met her earlier this day. Was it even okay to have thoughts like that? Kairi has told Sora countless times about her childhood friend and showed old pictures, but it didn't click in his mind that it was Mia until he saw the way Kairi greeted her at lunch.

" Sora?" Mia gently called, breaking his mental dispute. " I should really help you clean up and then get going. I don't know how serious Kairi was about being home by dinner but it'll be getting late soon.

" Sure thing." the papers were put away quite swiftly and Mia packed up her bag. " I'll walk you home." Sora offered.

" You don't have to. Kairi told me her house is a couple blocks down the street."

" Honestly Mia, I'd love to. I feel bad you had to get around school on your own." Mia giggled.

" Well actually, Roxas offered to give me a tour but I declined."

" Smart choice." The two teens walked out and Sora locked the house.

It was only a 10 minute walk to Kairi's house, but it felt even shorter. Mia came up and rang the bell, only waiting a moment until Kairi answered.

" Mia, you're just in time!"

" That's great. I'll just go wash up." Mia stepped inside. " Thank you Sora. See you tomorrow."

" Bye Mia." as the brunette disappeared inside the house, her red head companion gave him a look. " What?"

" Oh nothing. I didn't actually think you would bring her back in time."

" Come on Kairi. As soon as we finished, we left."

" Okay. Trying to make a good impression?" Kairi questioned.

" What's that supposed to mean? I'm just being a good friend."

" Sure. I know that look Sora. You had it on all of lunch."

" I don't know what you're talking about." he played dumb. He didn't think he was being that obvious.

" Whatever you say. See you tomorrow Sora." Kairi waved and he waved back as she was closing the door. " Don't be a stranger!" she quickly called out. And Sora took those words to heart.

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Hope you liked it. Sorry for character dropping, but it's not like they're all strangers!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: " I don't own Kingdom Hearts."

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After dinner and some quality time with the family, the two girls finally went upstairs to Kairi's room. They sprawled out on the bed, soon to be getting ready to go to sleep.

" So, I see that Sora is quite friendly with you." Kairi began to say. Mia gave her a confused stare.

" All because he walked me home?"

" It's just like old times."

" What old times?" the brunette was getting more confused by the second.

" Come on Mia, from when we were growing up."

" Kairi, I lived here for a short time; at most a year. And we were only 5 years old then."

" And Riku was turning 6."

" Really, your randomness is freaking me out." Mia admitted, she felt the conversation was getting nowhere.

" It's not random, we all went to his birthday party." the brunette said nothing as she waited for her friend to continue. " That's when we became friends with them and spent that whole year together, the four of us; you, me, Riku, and Sora. Even after you moved, they were always here right by my side when I got a chance to talk to you." it was faint, but Mia could somewhat recall hearing the presence of two boys over the phone.

" So what Kairi? I don't know if you realized, but I just ran away from home and traveled who knows how many miles and my parents don't even know where I am. On top of that, I ran away from an arranged marriage!" her voice became slightly hysterical. How was she supposed to explain to her parents her whereabouts without them forcing her to come home.

" I know you're freaking out, but what's so bad about having another friend to count on?"

" I don't need that kind of friend, I have you. And I don't want Sora getting mixed up in all this. How is that supposed to make me look, running away from a marriage to someone I never met, live in his kingdom, and have the guts to start getting close to another guy? No thank you."

" Well that's what you're telling me. If Sora is going to say something then I bet you'll change your mind."

" I don't think so Kairi. And if it means being around Roxas more, and especially Vanitas, then the answer is plain to see."

" You met Vanitas also? Today must have been overwhelming." Mia let out a sigh in agreement as they sat in silence. This discussion didn't put Mia in a particularly good mood, but Kairi was only curious about what was going on between her two friends purely out of innocence and Mia couldn't hold that against her. But it was too soon to say if anything was sparking between her and Sora. He was going off of everything he remembered about her, as speculated by Kairi, while Mia was treating this like a first time meeting. With another heavy sigh, Mia got up and went to her suitcase and pulled out some pajamas to get ready for bed. After all, today was a long day filled with meeting faces, new and old.

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Mia was listening intently to her biology teacher as he explained mitosis through a diagram on the chalkboard. Roxas took this opportune moment to face her while the teacher had his back turned.

" So Mia, how come I didn't see you at my house yesterday?" he somewhat whispered. Mia focused her eyes on the blonde in front of her who was doodling in her notebook, occasionally looking up at her.

" I don't know, I was there for at least two hours. Where were you?" she responded in the same light tone.

" I was out for a bit."

" Well, then it was completely your fault." he raised an eyebrow at her.

" Alright I'll take the blame for that. But that just means that you owe me a date." Mia was nodding her head, splitting her attention between Roxas and her teacher. She immediately stopped when what the blonde said registered in her head.

" I don't owe you anything!" she whisper-shouted. A few classmates turned to their direction but Mr. Even remained oblivious. The brunette gave his shoulder a slight push for him to face forward and resumed her attention to the notes she was missing about cell division.

" Did you catch any of that?" Roxas whispered over his shoulder.

" Yes."

" Mind helping me catch up later?" just as he asked the question, the bell rang.

" It's called a textbook Roxas. Make friends with it." she gave him a smile as she stood up, already packed, and headed to history to seek the company of Sora.

Roxas walked into the History class shortly after the stubborn brunette. As he walked to his seat, he kept his eyes on her the whole time, watching as she was immersed in the conversation she was having with his brother. Her face was bright and even her eyes were smiling as she was talking to Sora, letting a few giggles escape; it was a sweet sound to Roxas. He quickly took his seat and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Words were scribbled quite carelessly as he tried to finish the note before class started. The blonde turned to his brother and tapped his arm. Sora excused himself and turned to his brother with a confused look.

" Give this to Mia." Roxas instructed.

" Really, passing notes? Aren't you a little old-"

" Just do it." Sora took the note and passed it back as he turned to Mia.

" It's from Roxas." Sora whispered and sat back so Mia could sneak a glance a him. She opened the note but kept it to herself, not letting Sora see it.

' Why won't you study with me?' she read to to herself. Quickly, she pulled out a pencil and replied. As she wrote, Mr. Ienzo was starting the lesson so she made it brief. Mia lightly tapped Sora's shoulder for him to pass it up. He didn't question it or bother taking a peek, just leaned forward to throw it over Roxas' shoulder.

' I don't think it's studying you really wanna do.' He kept his eyes on the teacher as he wrote, hoping not to get caught and quickly dropped it on Sora's desk. The brunette sighed and passed it on.

' Why do you say that?' Mia scribbled a reply and gave it to Sora.

' Some things in life you just know.' he smiled as he read that line, remembering that's what he told her when they first met.

" Is something amusing to you, Mr. Kokoro?" Mr. Ienzo called to the blonde.

" Nothing at all." he smoothly responded. The teacher nodded and returned to the lesson, and Roxas continued to write his response.

' Clever. How come it was so easy for you to ask Sora to study with?'

' He's different from you.' Roxas thought over her words for a long moment, wondering what she meant.

' Am I the bad kind of different?'

' No. And if I remember correctly, he offered to help me.' just as she finished folding the paper and gave it to Sora, Mr. Ienzo met her eyes. He didn't say anything but she knew something would come of it.

Students were leaving the class while Mia was still packing up her things. Sora told her to meet at the same table for lunch and left without another word or even a hint of a smile.

" Mia, Roxas, I would like a word with you." the two teens gave each other a regretful look and came up to the teacher's desk.

" Don't think that you two were being so discreet." he told them. They remained silent, not even looking at one another. " I'll let it slide, but don't think that you'll always get off so easily. Especially you Mia, I heard you were behind and with the test Friday you should be more focused."

" I'm actually caught up, I got all the notes from Sora." she defended.

" Well, it doesn't mean you're off the hook for class notes. And Roxas, you're grades are finally improving. Don't go down that road again."

" I won't." he boldly said, ensuring his words were true. Mr. Ienzo looked from one student to another and let them go with a warning. As soon as they were out the door, Mia turned to Roxas and smacked his arm.

" Way to go. It's only my second day and you're already getting me in trouble."

" Me? You didn't have to respond. A simple ' talk later' would have sufficed." he argued back.

" Oh, and you're wondering why I'm not too thrilled to hang out with you." The words stung a bit, but Roxas managed to brush them away.

" One has nothing to do with the other. You're at fault here too."

" Whatever. At this rate, you're better off making friends with the textbook." Mia stated and stalked off to her locker, not even giving him a chance to respond. Despite the attitude she was giving him, she wasn't that upset with Roxas. In fact, she felt some thrill passing notes to him because it seemed easier to tell him exactly what she was thinking. And because of everything she'd learned about him from yesterday, this was predictable for him to do. If she were to tell him to 'talk later', he would just write down something smart to keep her attention. Some thoughts flashed through her mind, like what Kairi was telling her the night before on how they were all friends when they were kids, but she didn't mention Roxas. Did Mia even know Roxas at that time? Or was that a relationship not meant to be? She tried her hardest to remember a young blue-eyed blonde, but it was so faint she began to doubt herself that they actually ever met. With these new thoughts about the obnoxious boy, her opinion of him slightly changed. Maybe he can't help the way he is now, but it could be his way of asking her to be the friend that he didn't get to have when they were kids. As soon as she reached the cafeteria she went straight for the table with her circle of friends. They were all consumed by some sort of conversation, except for Sora. He was picking at his sandwich and occasionally lifted his eyes to seem like he was paying attention.

" Nice of you to join us." Kairi joked.

" Sorry about that, had to talk to my history teacher."

" Oh. I hope no one's getting in trouble or anything." Mia shifted her eyes to Sora, trying to figure out if he had said anything to the group.

" No one is in trouble, okay?" she responded somewhat harshly, ending the conversation. Sora remained quiet as he nibbled on his sandwich while Mia waited for him to say something to her. In a discreet manner, Mia shifted her body to see the other end of the room and found Roxas at his usual spot with Axel. She wasn't sure if there was bad blood between her and both twins, but she knew that she had to give Roxas a chance after everything she's thought about. " I'll be right back." she quickly said as she stood up; everyone gave her a confused look but she said nothing. She made her way past students to the other side and as she reached the table, she took the empty spot by Axel to face Roxas.

" Well, look who's back. I hope I didn't scare you or anything yesterday." Axel told her.

" Scare me? Never." she barely made eye contact with him as she watched the blonde chew on his salad, who in turn, was observing her and Axel. " Roxas, I'm sorry for how I acted earlier." the blonde almost choked on his salad.

" What?" astonishment was in his voice.

" I shouldn't have been so rude after class."

" Well, I'm glad you see it my way."

" Don't think that you're any more of an angel now. I just came to tell you that I don't mind giving you the chance to study together."

" This better not be out of pity after what the teacher said." he warned her.

" No." she lied. It was pity all right, but not from what the teacher had said to him.

" Okay then, walk home with me after school?" Roxas confidently offered.

" Sure. I'll meet you at the front when school's over." she watched his smile grow as a sign of agreement and she stood up to leave. Not even looking back to see what Axel could have possibly said about the whole situation, she sat back down right next to Sora, who was still in a quiet demeanor.

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At the end of the school day, Roxas met Mia at the front of the school and began the walk to his house. As they entered the domain, Mia realized once again that it was quiet.

" Where's Sora?"

" He has soccer practice today." Roxas answered, " You gonna be okay without your bodyguard?" Mia responded with a punch to his arm. " Okay then!" he exclaimed as he rubbed the sore spot. Mia watched as he ascended the stairs, leaving her quite hesitant. " Are you coming or not?" she didn't want to argue with him so she just nodded and followed him to his room. Their bags were put on the floor and as Mia began to take out her notes, Roxas turned on his laptop.

" What are you doing?"

" Going on the computer. What else does it look like?"

" Well no wonder you don't understand anything, you have horrible study habits."

" Look, just give me like half an hour and we can begin." he was already laying on his bed with the computer on his lap. Mia came up to him and closed the laptop. Before he could say one word, she covered his mouth.

" Roxas, I'm not gonna be here all day so let's get started." she said calmly. Mia returned to her spot on the floor and Roxas followed suit. Books were spread out as they sat next to each other, comparing their notes.

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" We've been staring at this for half an hour and I understand nothing." Roxas finally confessed.

"What don't you get? It's just the process of cells splitting, what's so confusing?"

" They all sound the same…" he said with a sigh. She took his notebook and put it in her lap, examining his notes.

" Pay attention, okay?" she told him. He leaned over her shoulder as she began explaining each step. Roxas tried to concentrate, but being so close to her was clouding up his mind to the point where…

" Roxas! Are you listening?" Mia snapped.

" Sorry, what was that?"

" I'm done!" Mia slammed the book closed and pushed it off her lap. She went to her bag to put away her things when he grabbed her hand to stop her.

" Please Mia, I'm sorry."

" You can only apologize so much until they become empty words."

" It's so hard to change."

" I wouldn't know Roxas, if you were always like this."

" How would you know what I was like anyway?" he questioned. She let out a heavy sigh.

" So that means you don't remember me either?" he gave her a blank stare. " When we were like 5 years old, I lived here for some time."

" The girl Sora and Kairi always hung out with." Mia nodded. " Well, now everything makes sense, like why Sora loves being with you."

" Roxas, we were five. We were completely different people, kids actually."

" No, not really." he retorted.

" How would you know? We established we hardly knew each other then."

" But I was quite aware of you. Sora liked to talk a lot." he smoothly told her, leaving out a very important detail that he kept in the back of his mind. Mia tried to hide her blush. Sora was always chatty, even at a young age he always had something to say.

" Well what matters is what's going on now, which is not studying!"

" So you'll stay?"

" Yes, I heard what Mr. Ienzo said to you. He may have been talking about history but-"

" Mia don't get involved in that…." he said quite sternly.

" Wait, you're denying extra study time together?" she asked, catching him in his own words. He replied with a smirk.

" You think you know me so well." he whispered close to her face, close enough that she could count his freckles.

" Well I'd say the same thing judging by how much you've been trying to talk to me."

" You're cute, of course I wanna talk to you." Mia looked away from him. " It's okay to blush, you know?"

" You are just like Vanitas!" she exclaimed. The blonde let out a soft laugh.

" So you've met one of my older brothers."

" Unfortunately. I don't remember him from our childhood but he definitely left an impression yesterday."

" That's Vanitas for you." Mia gave him a sympathetic look. She had met him only once but it was enough to last her a while.

" So are you gonna focus this time?"

" Yes."

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As 5:30 rolled around, Sora dragged in his bags, exhausted from the long day. As he put the bag to the side, his attention focused upstairs where lights were illuminated and he heard hushed laughter come from one of the bedrooms. One he recognized to be Mia's, and the other he knew belonged to at least one of his siblings, but he was hesitant to figure out which one. Sora ventured to the staircase and ascended, hearing the laughter get louder. Once in the hall, he approached Roxas' room and knocked on the door frame to the open room. The scene he was witnessing was Mia sitting on the bed with his brother's laptop, pushing Roxas away with her foot as he reached for the device.

" Sora! It's good to see you." Mia said with a smile. Roxas immediately turned his attention to his brother, stopping his pursuit for his laptop.

" What are you two doing?" he asked nervously.

" We were studying, for 2 hours might I add, and she said we could take a break but took my laptop away from me."

" After you were on it for like half an hour."

" I think I deserved it."

" Yes you did." Mia concluded. It became quiet, so she turned her attention to Sora. " How was practice?"

" Oh you know, gotta do it to win the games."

" I understand. Let me know when your next game is, I'd love to come watch." Sora smiled at her words and nodded. " Well, it's getting late so I'm gonna head home, alright boys?"

" I'll walk you." they said at the same time, immediately followed by an awkward silence.

" Sora, you should go shower instead. You're probably tired too." his twin advised.

" He's right Sora. Take it easy for now."

" But I'm fine-"

" I'll be back in 20 minutes bro." Roxas interrupted as he helped Mia pack up her belongings.

" Okay. Bye Mia." Sora solemnly told her. She came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, not wanting to hug his sweaty body, and walked out of the room.

10 minutes later they arrived at Kairi's place in quiet conversation. As Mia was about to knock on the door, Roxas grabbed her hand and held it in his.

" Thanks for giving me another chance Mia."

" Don't worry about it Roxas. Today was actually fun."

" Can we just forget about yesterday? I want you to know I'm not always like that." she gave him a skeptical look.

" I don't know, first impressions are pretty important…" his eyes connected with hers, begging for her to change her mind. " We'll see Roxas." Unexpectedly, he pulled her close into a tight embrace.

" Yes we will." he whispered in her ear, causing chills to run across her body. Before he pulled away, he gave her cheek a small peck and was gone before Kairi even answered the door.

" You came by yourself?"

" No, Roxas dropped me off." Kairi's face dropped a bit at the mention of his name. " He offered since I agreed to study with him."

" Sure, sure." the red-head said as her friend walked in and closed the door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: " I don't own Kingdom Hearts."

* * *

" I thought this week would never end!" Kairi two girls were walking out of the school with Olette and Namine.

" We finally get to have some girl time together!" Namine chimed in. The four of them made their way to the town's square, a small bustling community of family owned shops and traveling businesses.

" They always have the cutest accessories."

" But if you like something, you better buy it because there is no guarantee it'll be there the next day." Olette warned.

" At least I have you girls to keep me company and teach me your ways." Mia told them. They all linked arms and walked on.

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" Where are you headed Roxas?" the brunette asked.

" I'm going to town for a bit."

" To get what? Some numbers?" he teased.

" Say what you want Sora, at least I'm going out. Maybe you should check on your little sweetheart."

" Mia?"

" Funny how that's the first person that comes to mind."

" Roxas, what in the world are you talking about?"

" See what she's up to. She might not be available later." his twin said cryptically as he closed the door behind him. Sora wasn't sure how to react, whether to follow him or go on instinct. Sure, he may have seen them together a couple of days ago, but it was just studying. The rest of the time at school and two other nights Mia was with him studying for the history test. He brushed off his brother's comments and went into his room. He had more faith in Mia and their friendship, and a hope that his brother was trying joking around.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

" Mia, aren't you gonna come into this store with us?" Namine questioned.

" I saw some really nice knickknacks over there, so I wanna check it out."

" Alright. Call us if anything."

" I promise I won't get lost." Mia joked. She gave a small wave and walked off in the opposite direction. Vendors called her for attention, politely though, as she passed and scanned all the tiny accessories that were placed across multiple tables. One specific table around the corner had caught her eye with its sparkling homemade jewelry.

" See something you like?"

" Roxas?" Mia questioned as a blonde boy came from the other side of the table to join her. " What are you doing here?"

" I'm allowed to browse, aren't I? Thinking about getting something for myself or for someone special."

" Well that's a sweet thought." as those words left her mouth, the merchant turned to them.

" Aren't you two a lovely couple? Anything catching your eyes?" he asked with enthusiasm.

" We're not-"

" Just looking around for now." Roxas interrupted as he placed his hand around Mia's waist. Her eyes immediately shot up to his, confused about his actions.

" Of course. But, might I say that this set would look absolutely lovely with your grey eyes." the merchant picked up a small box and handed it to Roxas for him to show Mia. Inside were small studs with pearls in a gem's place and a matching pearl necklace. No doubt did her eyes light up a bit, and Roxas immediately noticed.

" They would look wonderful on you." he whispered to her.

" I can't accept this, but they are lovely." she told him as she closed the box and handed it back to the merchant.

" Think about it. I'll make sure they won't disappear too quickly." Roxas and Mia nodded their heads and said goodbye as they continued down the market. As soon as they were alone, Mia turned to Roxas quite flustered.

" Are you nuts?"

" What are you talking about?" he asked with a laugh.

" Do you know how much they were?"

" There's no price on beauty, and they would have looked stunning on you." Mia sighed, trying to stifle her blush at the same time. Roxas pulled her close once again and led her down towards the fountain, away from the bustling square.

" Mia, I just want us to have the friendship we could have had when we were kids."

" So you're trying to buy me into it?"

" I want you to know I'm not as bad as you think I am." Mia stopped walking and looked up at him.

" I don't think you're bad Roxas."

" But you said I'm different from Sora."

" Well, there's the obvious reasons, but just because you two are twins doesn't mean you're alike at all." he looked away, giving in to her argument. " I thought you were smarter than that." she joked, earning a smile from the blonde.

" Gee thanks." this time, she pulled him into a reassuring embrace.

" Don't try so hard Roxas. It may do wonders." and Roxas took this advice to heart.

They walked around the fountains for some time, finding things to catch up on and at the same time talk about random useless things to the point where they had lost track of time.

" So Mia, what are you doing tonight?" he asked as they sat quietly on a bench.

" Is this going where I think it is?"

" I only asked a simple question." he defended himself.

" I think the girls are coming over to Kairi's for a sleep over." then Mia realized something. " Kairi! Roxas, what time is it?"

" Chill out Mia, it's only been an hour or so."

" Oh man, I said I would catch up with them and now they probably think I'm kidnapped!" Roxas grabbed her by the shoulders to calm her down.

" Will you relax please? I'll take you back to them and everything will be fine."

" I doubt they're still at that store."

" Then I'll help you find them. Just call them up." she did as told and pulled out her cell phone and stepped away for the moment to call, leaving Roxas to lean back in a completely relaxed manner.

" Okay, so I'm not in deep trouble and they told me where to find them."

" Which is where?"

" Some place called Scrooge's Treats?"

" That's just across the town square. I'll take you there." Mia smiled at his offer and together they walked to join the other girls.

" Mia, there you are!" Kairi called at the first sight of her long time friend.

"Roxas, what are you doing here?" Olette questioned as he walked beside Mia.

" Sorry girls, we kinda lost track of time. Didn't mean to take her away for so long." He explained, giving a wink to Mia.

" Yeah it was his fault." Roxas quickly pulled her close in a smothering hug. He leaned his head down, prepared to say something for her ears only.

" I'll see you later kid." As Mia pulled away, she smiled shyly at the pet name. She wasn't sure how soon this 'later' would be, but it gave her butterflies nevertheless. He bid goodbye to the other girls and walked off his own way. Once out of earshot, all the girls turned to Mia.

" What was that all about?"

" Since when are you two sneaking around?" the questions were coming left and right, overwhelming the grey-eyed brunette.

" Girls! I ran into him by accident."

" Mia…."

" Really! Then we kinda just walked around and talked the whole time."

" Mia, we were worried." Kairi told her, stressing the importance of her taking the chance of wandering alone around town.

" I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose track of time."

" And Sora came by also, he was looking for you." Namine added.

" Sora? Did he say why?"

" He was kinda out of breath when we ran into him like he was really looking for you. We told him you were around town somewhere but we didn't know where."

" I'll have to call and apologize."

" No need. He might stop by with Riku during our slumber party to watch a movie."

" Oh, sounds like fun!" Mia said with excitement.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

" The boys will be here any minute!" Kairi announced as the girls were setting up the family room for the movie. Pillows were tossed all over the couch and floor with some blankets, and two bowls of popcorn were made for the occasion. Shortly after, there was a knock on the door, which Mia gladly went to answer.

" Hey guys, come on in." Mia smiled at them. They both greeted her and walked inside. Before he could go any farther, Mia grabbed Sora's arm and pulled him aside. " Sora, I heard you were looking for me." he immediately blushed, struggling to come up with a reasonable explanation. He decided to go with the truth, mostly.

" I knew Roxas was going into town and I wanted to go with him to maybe catch up with you, but he left before me and…"

" Oh, I'm sorry I missed you. But, Roxas didn't say anything about you." she answered.

" Let's just forget about it, okay?" Mia nodded in agreement. They joined the rest, who were all situated about the room and deciding on a movie.

" Help us pick one." Namine called out. Mia looked at the two choices and made a face.

" They're both scary."

" Come on Mia, it'll be okay." Sora attempted to comfort.

" I don't care which you choose, I'll probably end up not watching."

" Fine." Kairi replied. For Mia's sake, they decided on the lesser of two evils.

Half and hour later, Mia was huddled against Sora's shoulder and half way under the blanket. Riku came close to her ear, giving a shout as the door in the movie opened, causing Mia to shriek.

" Aw come on Riku, that's cruel." Sora said, throwing a pillow at his friend.

" But totally worth it." he replied through laughter.

" Okay, I'm sorry but I can't do this." Mia said as she stood up.

" Where are you going?" Kairi asked.

" To take a shower, and if the movie is still on, I'll be waiting in your room with the games."

" If you're sure…."

" Trust me, it's what's best." Mia gave everyone a smile and then scurried up the stairs. As she prepared her shower things, her phone lit up, revealing a text message. She opened it up and read to herself.

' It's your favorite twin.' she couldn't help but laugh.

' Sora? You're supposed to be watching the movie.'

' You're mean.'

'Me? I just got a pranked during the scary movie.'

' Why don't you come outside and tell me all about it?' Mia curiously looked out the window just in time to see the blonde walking down the sidewalk.

' Trying to get me in trouble again?'

' It wouldn't be my doing, it's on you if you actually come out.' even though he probably couldn't really see it, she smirked at him from the window. Without another word, she grabbed her small purse and phone and snuck down the stairs. Just as the movie was picking up action, it gave her the perfect opportunity to use the front door. Mia ran up to the blonde, getting butterflies from the smile that radiated off his face.

" Where are we going?"

" I don't know, but you seem prepared." he said, taking note of her purse.

" Can we go somewhere just to walk? I wanna get my mind off this movie."

" Absolutely."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They walked around somewhat aimlessly, eventually ending up at a park. Mia ran up to the playground and sat down on a swing. Roxas followed and took the one next to her. There were moments of silence between the two, but it was pleasant. It gave her the chance to clear her mind of the horrid movie and focus on her time now. For Roxas, the silence was also pleasant, like a sign of truce between the two teens and an understanding. He swung close to her to grab one of the chains, causing her to swing his way. Mia didn't say anything, it actually calmed her as they swung in synch.

" Roxas, I can't be careless this time." he pulled her closer to himself once again. " I only have until the movie finishes, which is probably soon."

" Sure thing. We can head back." his mood seemed to drop, letting a guilty feeling sink into Mia's heart. " You know I'd love to stay much longer."

" You're just saying that." she grabbed the chains of his swing so they were facing each other.

" Roxas, I mean it." she quietly answered. Mia wasn't sure what she wanted to happen next, but there wasn't too much time left to figure it out. She let go of the chains, ready to get off the swing. Roxas understood the time constraint, but what his heart was telling him to do, his brain didn't allow. He didn't want to scare her away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The two teens finally made it back to the house, seeing the glow of the t.v still shining from the window. The air between them had an awkward feel since they left the park. As Mia came up to the door, she wasn't sure what to do with Roxas. So she settled for a goodbye.

" Thanks for taking me out, Roxas."

" No problem. Now go enjoy the rest of whatever you guys were doing." he reluctantly told her.

" Didn't Sora tell you why he was coming over?" she asked. Inside, she felt a horrible feeling creep up that Roxas wasn't invited, for whatever reasons.

" Yeah, kinda blocked it out though. Not really my type of gathering."

" Of course. I bet you have much better things to do." the brunette smirked at him. He showed off his cocky smile.

" Don't worry about me. And as sleep overs tend to go, if you have a pillow fight, give Sora a good smack from me." Mia giggled, but not before giving him a good hit in the arm. " Keep doing that and this bruise will never go away!"

" Good, something to remind you of me." A good feeling resumed between them, so without anymore words, they gave a small wave and parted ways. Mia entered quietly and noticed that they were cleaning up the mess that had been made in the family room. Despite that she was still in the same clothes and showed no hint that she showered, she joined the rest of them.

" Movie's done?" all their heads turned to her attention.

" Yeah, just cleaning up and then going upstairs." Kairi answered. Mia grabbed some of the pillows and took them upstairs while Namine and Sora brought up blankets. In Kairi's room they made the same set up that was downstairs with pillows and blankets all spread out. Mia stole a glance at Namine, silently asking for a favor. The blonde understood and excused herself, leaving the two brunettes.

" So Mia, I take it you didn't shower." Sora awkwardly brought up.

" Decided not to."

" Scared someone's gonna pop out of the shower?" he joked and Mia couldn't help but laugh. Of course he shared some of the dark humor his brothers have.

" No! I just had other things to take care of." she replied, then threw a pillow in his direction and getting him in the back. That was for Roxas.

" Kind of find it weird you were so quiet here, all by yourself." she just shook her head, dismissing his thoughts, but she knew what he was up to. He was testing her honesty. So, she did the same thing in return.

" So Sora, I know you said to forget about it, but I really am curious. Why were you looking for me earlier?" he let out a heavy sigh.

" Mia..."

" Come on Sora. We've been hanging out together ever since I got here, it's like I never left!" Okay, the last part was a stretch, to say the least, but she had to make a her argument count. He looked at her directly, trying to see if her face can reveal what she was searching for. " Were Roxas and I supposed to wait for you? Because honestly, I didn't even know I was going to hang out with him. I just ran into him by mistake and then we lost track of time."

" No, you weren't supposed to wait for me. I just wanted to see if I could get to you before Roxas did so maybe we could do something together, other than study."

Instantly, Mia was filled with guilt. If only she had known. As they finished setting up the room, Mia was trying to settle her small mental dispute. This whole week she had spent more time with Sora, studying and also in between times during the school day, so this justified her hanging out with Roxas this afternoon. Had she known she was going to spend some of tonight sneaking out and being with him, well, that put her back at zero. But for her own peace of mind, this wasn't her fault. Everything was happening by chance, or at least that's what she was telling herself. What mattered, though, was her time now and the people she was with.

" I'm sorry Sora. I wish you would have called."

" Yeah, that was a mistake on my part."

" I'll make it up to you, I promise."

" Mia, it's alright. We're together right now, aren't we?"

" Well yeah, but I know it's still not the preferred way." she smiled at him. Sora got that feeling inside of him that knew she wasn't going to give up, so he flashed a sincere smile in return. Footsteps were heard ascending the stairs, and a moment later Riku walked hesitantly into the room.

" You guys okay?"

" Why wouldn't we be?" Mia responded.

" Just making sure. You're not too freaked out by the movie, are you?"

" No, I'm sure that wasn't the first time you've tried to torment me." laughter filled the room. Soon, the room was occupied with the whole gang, all deciding what game to play. Out of a restless decision, monopoly was set up and teams were made.

The clock struck 1 am, and the game showed no signs of ending. Judging by the look on everyone's faces,it was time to call it quits.

" Sora, I still gotta drop you off at home." Riku spoke up. Sora nodded and yawned shortly after.

" Yeah, and I have a game tomorrow."

" What time Sora?" Mia asked as she began to clean up all the stray cards and money.

" It starts at noon." all the girls shared a look and a decision was made.

" Well, we'd all love to come watch you play." Sora looked around and blushed.

" You girls don't have to..."

" Come on Sora, it'll be fun! Then we can all go out for a victory lunch." Kairi offered. It was then that the plan was made to spend their Saturday. Mia and Kairi had picked up all the left over food and took it downstairs to put away.

" You seem excited to go to the game." the red-head observed.

" I promised Sora I'd come watch him play. I don't see why we can't when all the girls are here so we can all go together."

" Mia, I understand that you're finally getting comfortable living here, but you can't forget the whole reason you came here." Mia put the bowls in the sink and looked at her best friend.

" You're right Kairi, public events probably isn't the smartest thing to attend."

" Wait a second! I didn't say we can't go, we'll just have to get creative on your appearance. You've only been here a week, and I bet in a couple more, all the hype will go down and you'll be free to go wherever you please. But for now, we have to take precautions." the brunette instantly felt excited and went to hug her friend. She always knew she could count on Kairi to look after her and help her in time of need. " And you know what else? I have a strong feeling that your betrothed will be at the game."

" Why do you sound happy? That just makes things more difficult."

" No it doesn't. It just means that you'll finally get a good look at him. I'm sure he doesn't know who you are yet so what can possibly go wrong?" And that's exactly the kind of challenge that fate would gladly accept.


End file.
